Best Player Movies

Any Bond movie

There isn’t a more accomplished and capable pickup artist in films. Halle Berry in Die Another Day, Lana Wood in Diamonds are Forever… How many traditional female fantasies does James Bond embody? How many women love the idea of a suave and sophisticated Englishman who can dodge bullets and service their every waking need without breaking stride? It’s the element of danger, of course, but it’s a clean, stylish form of danger. Furthermore, considering numerous actors have played the role, it becomes clear it has nothing to do with the name; it’s all about the character. And there ain’t a bigger Player in existence, making every Bond movie one of the best Player movies out there.

Alfie (original and remake)

Both the 1966 original, featuring Michael Caine, and the 2004 remake with Jude Law as the young womanizer are insta-classics in the world of best Player movies. The concept revolves firmly around a man who believes in the Player canon of non-ethics, which basically includes only one rule: “sleep with as many women as possible.” Both the ideas of love and infidelity are given ample time on camera, as the age-old battle between monogamy and hedonism takes place before our very eyes. Alfie Elkins appeals to both sides of the argument because women honestly believed he could, if forced to “grow up,” make for the perfect lifelong companion, while men everywhere easily understand the opposite angle. In most all respects, Alfie is a Player among Players.

How to be a Player

And how could we ignore the one movie with the obvious description right there in the title? Bill Bellamy stars as the man who gets all the women, but who experiences major backlash when those very same women hold a revenge-fueled get-together. However, despite the conflict, Drayton Jackson shows he has the market cornered when it comes to playing the field, and all men who saw How to be a Player wished they had such skills. It also helps that there’s some good old-fashioned gratuitous nudity (you love it, admit it), and the point remains simple: Being a Player may take some practice and there are risks involved, but the benefits, if you don’t leave your nose open, are well worth the effort.

popcorn anyone?

The best Player movies are those that embrace the topic from front to back. They’re not romantic chick flicks where Kleenex is a requirement; they make no bones about the idea that, shockingly, many young men want to sleep with a lot of women. Sure, there are plenty of unflattering stereotypes, and they may not win any Oscars, but for the Player on the prowl, these movies portray a perfect world… if only for a short time.